//------------------------------// // Midnight // Story: My Little Skyrim // by Pippington Britishhooves //------------------------------// The plains were utterly desolate this late into the night. No light or sound made its way from any of the settlements dotted around, not that there were many. The closest city was Canterlot, but even from there lights didn’t reach across the plain, leaving the entire area gloomy and oppressive. Even the wildlife seemed to stay quiet. Dawnfire stopped caring about any of this after about twenty minutes. He’d been stumbling about in the emptiness for what felt like a lifetime, and with absolutely no visuals to help him, it may well have been that long, or even longer. The ground underhoof had started to become harder and more like gravel or rock, which he hoped meant that he was at least drawing close to his objective. The only problem (well, one of the many) was that the plains were surrounded by mountains, and he could equally be running away from Canterlot as he could towards it. There was no way to tell which mountain he was approaching. No, he thought, he couldn’t have traveled that far this quickly. Only Canterlot was close enough for him to have got there in such a short amount of time. Dawnfire cursed as he tripped up, the ground ahead of him sloping upwards alarmingly quickly. He floundered about, trying to find a way to push himself up on the uneven ground. Eventually finding enough grip to struggle to all four hooves, he stood up and stumbled forward again. The slope continued upwards for while, and Dawnfire had to grip onto the many rocks scattered about to stop himself from slipping and maybe even sliding down the side of the mountain. That wouldn’t benefit anypony, especially not himself. At least the increased presence of rocks meant that he was going in the right direction, or somewhere close to it- still a better result than being lost on the plains all night. Suddenly Dawnfire fell forward again, for the opposite reason that he had last time- the ground had abruptly flattened, and he had attempted to put his weight onto something that wasn’t there. Sitting up and pulling himself onto the flat ground, Dawnfire rubbed his forehoof. It hurt from striking the ground when he thought it was still sloped, and he hadn’t expected to hit something so solid. Usually, that only came from things like paths or.....wait. Paths. He felt around himself and noticed that the ground was solid and defined, not just soil and dirt, but rock; it was a path, which meant it lead somewhere, which meant that........ Dawnfire breathed a massive sigh of relief, then chuckled to himself. He had found the path leading up to Canterlot, and not only that, but he’d done it in the dark by himself with no idea of where he was going, and he’d cut off a portion the journey by climbing up the side of the path instead of following the mountain round. Maybe if he told his parents about this..... At that thought his eyes widened. His parents and his home! The whole reason for him being here was because his home was under attack! The thought spurred him into action and he leapt to his hooves and charged forward, banging into the cliff face but not caring, only changing direction and continuing on. When he reached Canterlot and got help, he could see that his family was rescued. Until then, all other thought had to stop. Sticking as close as he could to the rocky face to his right, he continued his ascent up the path towards the top of the mountain and, hopefully, salvation. ******************************************************* The path just went on and on. It twisted right and left and lead inexorably upwards, but it never ended. Dawnfire trudged onwards, determined to reach his destination if it killed him, but as he plodded on he began to wonder if he’d already died and this was the afterlife. Maybe this was him ascending to the heavens, as some seemed to believe, but they’d never mentioned it being anything like this. Maybe it was the trial to see if he was worthy of making into the vested position of heaven, or maybe.....maybe it was eternal punishment. Dawnfire grimaced as he thought this. “What did I do to deserve it though?” he questioned himself out loud. “Was it because I ran away when my home needed defending? If that’s the case, perhaps I do deserve this fate.” He hung his head as he walked, his voice taking a more morose tone. “I should have stayed and helped you, all of you: Mum, dad, Mira, the whole town. It’s my fault, and I’d do anything to help you know. Please, Celestia or anyone who’s listening; give me the chance to set everything right, if not for me then for them. Please, they don’t deserve this.” He looked up. “I will help them, some way or another, and I won’t rest until I do.” Step. Step. Step. White. Utter, blinding white. Dawnfire collapsed backwards onto the path, screamed and covered his eyes with his forelegs, but the whiteness still burned. Well, afterlife it was then. He wasn’t sure whether this was paradise or purgatory, but it didn’t matter, he could rest. Well, he could after the whiteness stopped burning and blinding him. “Who goes there?” called a gruff, authoritative voice from in front of him. Dawnfire tried to open his eyes but it hurt too much so he settled for shouting back into the whiteness. “Please stop that! It hurts to even look into it!” There was a grumbling and muttering from up ahead, and the white dimmed down to a bearable level. Dawnfire managed to open his eyes a fraction to see the outline of what looked like a pony, no, two ponies, making their way towards him. He shifted back onto his front and rose to his hooves yet again. He was making a habit out of falling over tonight. One of the pony silhouettes clopped steadily out the glare of the whiteness to where Dawnfire was standing, and as it got closer he could begin to make out features; a mane styled into a mohawk, a cropped tail, and an outfit that covered its torso and head. The outfit seemed to shine, glinting and sparkling as the figure drew close enough to speak. It stopped, and the same gravelly voice from before grunted a question. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Dawnfire averted his eyes a little. The sparkle of the figure before him was beginning to hurt his eyes again. “I’m not sure where I am,” Dawnfire answered apprehensively. “I’m trying to find Canterlot, and I’m lost. I just sort of stumbled here.” “You’re trying to find Canterlot? At this time of night? It’s early morning, what could possibly be so important that you couldn’t wait until daylight?” The figure sounded incredulous. Dawnfire sighed unhappily. “It’s a long story, and I really need to get going. It’s important that I get the Canterlot Guards now.” He made to move forwards, but the figure stopped him, pushing him back with a firm hoof. “And what do you need the Guards for? Their priority is to protect Canterlot, and if you've got something so important that you need them, then I’d like to hear about it,” the voice demanded. Dawnfire looked at the figure, ignoring the ache it caused his eyes. “It doesn't matter what my business is, all you need to know is that it’s important.” The figure in front snorted angrily, and Dawnfire continued firmly before he could be interrupted. “Why should I help you when I can’t even see you anyway? You could be anypony! I’m not going to give my details away like that!” The figure huffed and shuffled about before calling over his shoulder to somepony behind. “Lower the level of the light spell, you’ve probably blinded the blighter as it is!” At his words the whiteness (light, Dawnfire suddenly realised- it’d been a light spell) faded to a point where it was barely visible, just enough to see by. Dawnfire blinked a couple of times before focusing on the figure in front of him. It was a white unicorn stallion, and the ‘outfit’ that had been sparkling before was in fact armour; golden plated armour, and the mohawk mane was the crest of the helmet. Dawnfire’s eyes widened as he realised....... “Oh,” he said sheepishly, looking down. The guard glared back at him. “Yes,” he replied haughtily. “Oh. Now, maybe you could answer my previous question and tell me why you so desperately need to acquisition the Guards in the middle of the night when we’re busy guarding the capital of Equestria. Just so you know, it’s a full time job, so make your answer good.” Dawnfire glanced up at the guard and took a deep breath in. “My town has been attacked. I managed to escape and I’ve ran across the plains to get here. Please, I need you to help me. My family and everypony I've ever known is down there being used as slave labour for a group that I've never heard of or seen before.” The guard remained expressionless throughout Dawnfire’s explanation, standing there stoically. When the orange stallion finished speaking, the guard fixed him with a stare and remained silent. Finally, he nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll give it to you. That is a great reason to seek out the Guards.” Dawnfire released the breath he’d been holding in. “However,” the guard continued, “it’s validity is something else entirely. What’s the name of your town?” “Hopesmeade.” “Hopesmeade?” The guard cocked his head quizzically. “Isn't that about an hour away?” “In case you haven’t noticed, I didn't exactly walk here calmly whilst taking in the scenery,” came the retort. A chuckle. “Well, it’s an interesting story, but highly unlikely. What evidence do you have to support your claim?” Dawnfire groaned in exasperation and looked at the armoured pony in front of him. “I’ve escaped from a hostile group of lunatics and you’re asking me that? What could I possibly have anyway? It’s not like I can ask one of them to come with me!” The guard shrugged. “Well, without evidence, we can’t act. Surely you can see the major flaw in your demand here.” “Just send some guards over there and you’ll see that I’m telling the truth!” “And take away protection from the city? Certainly not.” “Take me with you then!” “You could have several accomplices waiting for you to draw us out.” “I’m a farmer! I have no desire to conspire against the throne, but the group that’s taken over my town does, and not only haven’t you noticed, but when somepony tries to tell you, you deny it and let it go on! Some guard you are!” Dawnfire didn't see the pony move. The only reason he knew that anything had happened was because suddenly his vision was taken up by the helmet and fiery eyes of the stallion that had apparently moved towards him in less than a second. His voice was a low angry growl. “I'm getting fed up with your attitude. We're a highly trained group of soldiers dedicated to protecting the capital from attack, and charged with protecting the citizens who dwell within. I haven't got any time to spare for your melodramatic nonsense, nor do I have the patience to sustain a conversation with you. We're here to prevent threats from approaching the city, and as this path is the most direct route, that's where we are. We stopped you because you look suspicious, and I'd say that fits pretty well into our remit. So, before you tell me that I'm no good as a guard, remember that however you see it, I'm doing my job just fine. The city seems to think so, the citizens seem to think so, and the Princesses seem to think so, meaning that your opinion means absolutely nothing. Clear, kiddo?” Taking the shocked silence as submission, the guard turned around and started walking back to where he’d came from. Dawnfire gaped at the sudden and unexpected outburst, and stared as the guard walked away from him. He didn't know what happened, but one thought pushed to the front of his mind: Hopesmeade. He shook himself out of his paralysis and shouted out to the retreating figure. “Wait! If you aren't willing to listen, then take me to someone who will! I want to see the highest authority here!” The guard stopped and looked back at Dawnfire. “Seriously?” he asked disbelievingly. “You expect us to just let you see whoever you demand to see? You want us to let you in and see an extremely important individual because you told us to?” Dawnfire strode forwards with determination. “I’m unarmed, and I want to be escorted all the way, including during my meeting with your superior,” he announced. “There’s no way I could harm them, but I need this meeting. Maybe they’ll listen to me, seeing as you won’t.” He was now right next to the armour clad stallion. Both of them looked at each other challengingly, and the silence stretched on. Finally, the unicorn relented. “If I do this, will you stop pestering us?” he asked. Dawnfire nodded enthusiastically. The guard sighed and gritted his teeth before looking to another armoured pony. “Get a transport troop. I want a typical prisoner formation, and he is not to be left alone at any time, especially not with”- a glance at Dawnfire -“the top brass. Go.” The other guard turned and galloped away, leaving Dawnfire alone with a rather annoyed companion. The two stood there for several seconds, not looking at each other or acknowledging the other in any way at all. Choosing to break the silence, Dawnfire turned to the unicorn. “Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am for this,” he offered. The guard snorted and glared back. “No, I don’t. But I know this, and I’m going to warn you once; if you try anything, anything at all- running, sabotage, talking out of line- I will personally run you through with my own horn.” Dawnfire gulped and glanced nervously at the horn in question. “Can it cut into flesh?” he questioned anxiously. The guard held his gaze and muttered threateningly, “I’d find a way, even if I had to paralyse you first.” Dawnfire didn’t know how to respond to that, so the two lapsed back into an uneasy silence. As he stood waiting in the night breeze, Dawnfire realised that this was the first time since he woke up that he had a chance to think. Not only that, but before he had been forced to continue for fear that any delay would result in the deaths of those closest to him; now that he was forced to wait, he couldn’t help but think about it. Part of him was tired, still unable to comprehend what had happened in the last few hours. Nopony, as far as he knew, had ever ventured into the plains at night, and nopony would have ever considered crossing them before now. And yet he had, somehow, survived a hostile takeover on his town, evaded capture, fought three dissident guards, stumbled through the dark and found the path to here. It was a miracle in itself, and Dawnfire normally would have spent time to congratulate himself on such a remarkable feat, but the realisation that he hadn’t actually achieved what he had came for left him worried and anxious to move on. Stray thoughts pushed their way to the front of his brain and images floated forward that he would have rather kept away. What if they’d found his mother hiding beneath the stairs? Would they punish her for hiding? What if they tried to do the same to her that they’d tried to do to Mira? And who would be there to stop them now that he was gone? These thoughts made him shudder violently. “Hey, orange peel, pay attention!” came a sharp bark to his right. The order made Dawnfire snap out of his cogitation and he focused forward. He realised that he’d heard the clopping hooves of approaching ponies but it hadn’t registered in his brooding state. A line of guards were marching towards him, six in total, and were all clad in the traditional gold plating of the guards of Canterlot. Despite the imposing site of an escort, despite the fact the all the stallions present were not happy to see him, Dawnfire felt relieved to see the approaching formation. He felt that he was getting somewhere, even if it was far too slow for his liking. At least it was a trot in the right direction. The guards came to a stop in front of Dawnfire and the other guard, and there was a rustling of armour as the troop saluted. The guard to Dawnfire’s right returned the gesture, and as he lowered his forehoof he asked “Are you aware of your orders and the severity of this situation?” The response was an immediate, “Yes sir!”. The guard nodded and gestured at Dawnfire. “I want you to escort this stallion here to his appointment and remain with him at all times. If he tries anything, you are authorised to use whatever force is necessary to neutralise the threat. Proceed.” With that, the troops rushed to surround Dawnfire on all sides and he found himself swept forward with a hasty shove. As they trotted forwards, Dawnfire noticed the ground changed from the stony texture that it had before to a wooden one, like planks, and the sound confirmed it. Looking up at the sky, he began to see the imposing outline of turrets and stone walls. He gasped. They were castle walls. He was walking across a drawbridge into a castle, and with guards this close to it, there was only one place he could be. The guard at the head of the column looked back and found Dawnfire. “No talking, okay? You’re to remain silent unless spoken to once we’re in Canterlot.” ******************************************************* The trot through the streets of Canterlot was an eerie experience for Dawnfire. For the most part, he was switching rapidly between cursing himself for not noticing the massive city in the background when he’d been conversing with the guards and wanting to exclaim his joy to the world at having even reached the city. The streets were mostly empty at this time in the morning, but there were the few ponies still milling about- the street cleaners, some ponies apparently taking an early morning stroll, and the occasional drunk stumbling about. Dawnfire turned away awkwardly when they came across anypony else- well, anypony who was sobre. He didn’t need the looks of surprise and awe to realise that he probably looked like a criminal being escorted along like this. In fact, he probably looked incredibly dangerous with so many guards around him, and he was sure that his reputation would be tarnished if he were ever to set hoof in the city again, assuming that he’d be allowed in after this incident. They twisted left and right through the maze of Canterlot’s streets, edging towards wherever they were headed. Dawnfire barely noticed which turns they were taking, merely following the directions of those shepherding him. Then again, he’d already proven tonight that he was hopeless at leading himself anywhere; he’d failed to notice that he was standing in front of Canterlot at all, mistaking the Guard post for a checkpoint on the road to the great city. Finished with another scolding phase, the other half of his brain quickly dove in to offer a defense. He’d found Canterlot on his own at any rate, and what’s more, he did it in the dark. No pony had ever done that before, and probably wouldn’t again, at least not for a long while. Surely that was something that he could be proud of? The guards continued leading him down the paved streets lined with restaurants and shops, all closed at this hour but still advertising their various assortments of services for the (undoubtedly many) customers that would shuffle around all day. As they passed a spa, Dawnfire was painfully reminded of his proposal that Mira had happily accepted, which in turn brought a sharp pointer to the fact that she was still helpless until he actually received aid. The thought made him shuffle uneasily as he was directed to his destination, which Dawnfire suspected they were drawing close to. The path ahead rose in what looked like an arched bridge crossing a small river, and beyond that was a building of some sort. Whilst crossing the bridge he noted the minaret reaching upwards towards the sky, and two staircases leading up to a wooden door. They didn’t use the stairs. Instead, Dawnfire was lead to a wooden door directly parallel to the river that sat at the base of the structure. Everything past the door reminded Dawnfire of the calibre of the city he was in; the floor was white marble, the hoofsteps of the escort echoing in the wide passage. They continued along until they reached a winding staircase, the brass banister supplementing the marble steps. He climbed the stairs, both following and being shunted onwards by the armoured guards around him, passing a landing, then another, before finally stepping off at the third. Here, Dawnfire noticed, the floor was chequered and was decorated with a deep red carpet, one that was very soft on the hooves (he nearly purred as they walked over it). The entire floor seemed to adhere to this pattern, as Dawnfire and his escort turned left and right, following the corridors wherever it lead them. He wasn’t actually sure how the guards knew where to go; the windows all had the same ten paned structure, alongside each was a pillar swathed with intricate designs and hanging baskets containing various colourful flowers, and the same red carpet flowed through the halls and corridors. Everything looked the same, but the guards somehow knew exactly where to go, eventually directing him to a large wooden door which they pushed open for him. The chamber inside was massive, not so much in width but in length, reminiscent of the corridor that they had just stepped out of. The carpet continued along the floor of room up to a raised golden throne at the end, which at the moment remained empty. The six guards trotted over to the walls of the room and spread apart, turning and standing at attention. Dawnfire looked around the chamber some more, noticing the stained glass windows embellishing the surface. Most of them were simple maps; engravings of various lands and much of the known world. He moved over to busy himself with examining one which detailed Equestria. Canterlot was there, right in the centre atop the mighty mountain that had become the iconic symbol of the nation. Dawnfire realised (with a slight amount of embarrassment) that he didn’t know much about Equestria, neither it’s geography nor history. The stained glass was the first indication that he’d ever had of how large the country actually was, although a quick glance around to another window revealed other lands to the east and south, and a stretch of apparently uninhabited territory in the north. A soft creak sounded throughout the room as the door opened gently, swiftly followed by a clatter of armour as the guards jumped to attention. Dawnfire looked round to see who had entered, and he froze. The guards, despite keeping their heads forward, fixated their eyes on Dawnfire- he could feel the glare. The newcomer walked into the room, a benign smile spreading across her face. “Greetings,” she offered warmly. Her voice was soothing, and Dawnfire felt the tension seep out of him almost immediately, but her presence kept him in his awestruck state. “I hear you wish to speak to an official?” She stopped in front of Dawnfire, and he just kept staring. It was at around this point that he realised that his mouth was hanging open. Assuming that his jaw had probably hit the floor as soon as he had recognised the mare, he decided to follow suit. Dawnfire collapsed to his knees and bowed his head. He had never seen her before. He had never even seen a picture of her, or talked about her in more than passing conversation, and yet he had recognised her immediately. Her snow white coat, her flowing cerulean mane and her towering height made her unmistakable to all who saw her. And just now, she had spoken to him. Princess Celestia had actually spoken to him! ******************************************************* Dawnfire shifted and fidgeted in the chariot, both from the anxiety of whatever would meet them when they arrived back in Hopesmeade and from the nerves (excitement?) of his first flight. He was an earth pony, and as a general rule, that meant he stayed on the ground. Pegasi were the flying race of ponies,  unicorns did magic, and earth ponies stayed on the ground. That’s how it always was, so it was understandably disconcerting to be moving without control through the air, and with no way to save himself if anything did go wrong. It probably would have been an extremely exhilarating experience if he hadn’t been worried about his family and the welfare of his town, but then again, it was due to that same reason that he jumped in without question when guided to the flying vehicle. The chariot bumped as it hit an air pocket, and Dawnfire bounced slightly. The air whipped at his mane as it rushed past, and he shivered in his seat. At least he had it to himself, with the rest of the ponies flying alongside, ahead, or behind the chariot. None of them had said anything at all since leaving Canterlot, and Dawnfire didn’t try to start a conversation. He wasn’t sure whether that was because he was focused or weary, but he didn't question that either. There was no purpose in it. Instead, Dawnfire thought back to when he talked to the Princess. That was what gave him the most comfort. “You may do away with the formalities,” she’d chuckled. “If you are here to see me at this time of day, then it must be important.” Dawnfire had mumbled an apology and stood up hurriedly, Celestia’s warm smile not faltering for a moment. She had waited patiently for him to get up, and then gently encouraged him to tell his story. He had jolted at the thought of his family and suddenly babbled about everything that had happened in the past few hours, to which she listened sympathetically. When he reached the part about his escape her eyes widened in shock, but she remained silent, waiting until he had concluded with her entry into the throne room. Only when he’d completely finished his story and gazed up at her imploringly, half pleading and half glazing over from shock, did she turn around to her guards decisively, who had moved towards the pair during Dawnfire’s account. They’d done it without making a sound, but at the time Dawnfire didn’t care at all. He just wanted somepony to do something. “Ready a patrol and tell them to make haste to Hopesmeade,” she’d ordered firmly. The guards almost looked taken aback. “But, your highness,” one of them objected, his voice laced with confusion. “There’s no evidence to support his claim. He’s most likely lying.” The Princess shook her head and replied, “The sincerity in his words and eyes was not that of a liar. And as for evidence, a patrol to the town will either confirm or expose his story.” The guards still didn’t look reassured by this. “Your majesty,” the guard had piped up again. “I don’t wish to question your authority, but this seems too much like an elaborate ruse. Might I suggest-” the guard was cut off by another shake of the head from Celestia. “I appreciate your concern and input, but this is a matter which cannot be debated. I am capable of taking care of myself in this instance.” As the guards galloped away, Celestia had turned back to Dawnfire, who was staring at her again. “You......believe me? You’re just going to help me?” he had asked disbelievingly. She’d smiled genially at him, and he calmed once more. “This ordeal is clearly causing you a lot of stress, and I’d prefer to play cautious on the side of my subjects rather than let harm come to them.” Dawnfire had bowed his head and almost sobbed with relief. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” The Princess had merely smiled in return before asking for his name. “Dawnfire,” he'd answered. “My name is Dawnfire.” They had traveled back down the hallways and out into the night again, Dawnfire repeatedly thanking the Princess, who dismissed the praise with an almost embarrassed smile. Walking out of the doors and into the fresh air outside, Dawnfire had decided to press a question that had worried him since he’d heard that the guards would send a patrol to Hopesmeade. “Will I be able to go with them, your majesty?” She had looked down at him with empathy, as though guessing that he would have asked that sooner or later. “I’m afraid not. It’s too dangerous, and if it’s anything like what you described, then you would be put unnecessarily in jeopardy.” Dawnfire had expected this, but his heart still sank, and he had found himself disagreeing. “Your majesty, you don’t understand-” he had began before he was cut off by Celestia. “I understand that your utmost priority is to be with your family, but-” “No, it’s not that!” “Oh?” She was surprised. “Why then?” “My mother is hidden and only I know where she is! If I don’t go, then she’ll be trapped for days!” It had taken the best part of five minutes, but Dawnfire managed to convince the Princess that he should accompany the guards to the town. He’d thanked her again, promising to return the favour a hundred times over, and then promptly jumped into the chariot that had been hastily dragged out for him. She had watched them go, concern evident on her face as the fifty or so pegasi had risen in unison and flew away from Canterlot for the ten minute journey. Dawnfire was dragged reluctantly back to the present by a shout travelling between the guards around him. He was unable to make out what they were saying, but from the urgency of their tone it was clear that it wasn’t good, whatever it was. Pulling himself to the front of the chariot, he could see a bright orange glow up ahead, standing out in the enveloping blackness of the plains. It seemed to expand outwards with every second that passed, and as they drew closer, it almost looked like it was flickering. Dawnfire’s eyes widened in realisation, any fatigue that he previously felt disappearing instantly. Desperately stretching forward to try and get within hearing range of the two pegasi pulling the chariot, he bellowed, “When did that start?!” One of the pegasi partly looked round and shouted back, “About a minute ago!” Dawnfire collapsed back into the chariot, breathing rapidly. They must have seen or heard the approaching guards. No, that was insane, they couldn’t see anything out here, it was too dark. But sound? It was silent. Fifty pairs of wings in a dead silent area in the middle of the night would be unmistakable. Everypony would be outside, working in the fields, so maybe they’d be able to get away or....... Dawnfire sat up again, peering over the edge. He had to get down there now! How far was the ground? He strained towards the two pegasi up ahead once more. Struggling to shout over the wind, as well of the sound of flames now, he shouted against the noise. “How far down is the ground?!” “It’s about twenty meters! We’ll be there in about thirty seconds!” “Can’t you go any faster?!” “No, it’s too dangerous!” “You’ve got ten until I jump!” “What?! No, don’t be stupid! Just hold on!” They drew closer to the town and at this distance Dawnfire could see the flames licking up from the individual windows of the burning houses. Illuminated by the fires raging around them, the dark armour clad ponies glowed bright orange as they scampered away from the incoming pegasi. Dawnfire felt anger brewing in his chest at the sight of them, hot enough to rival that of the inferno ahead. The cowards! They were running! And worst of all, after they made it away from the light that the fire provided, their armour would most likely hide them in the blackness that the plains offered. Spurred onwards by his anger and the sight ahead of him, Dawnfire clambered up onto the side of the chariot, ignoring the sudden warning shouts from the guards in the front. Below Dawnfire could see the ground rushing past at an alarming rate, hints of orange tinting the dark grass. He felt the chariot slow down slightly, and, deciding that the ground was close enough, took a deep breath. Pushing with his hind legs, Dawnfire jumped away from the chariot. The drop made his stomach lurch, but there was only a second of fall before he impacted heavily on the ground, rolling over multiple times and smashing the air out of his lungs. He had heard a thud from the impact and felt the ground bash into him, throwing him about as he waited for it to stop. When he did grind to a halt, every part of him hurt. His legs were bruised from absorbing the impact, and his side ached and stung violently. His head buzzed and his ears rung. Movement increased the pain . His breaths came in laboured, rattling gasps and drags. He would have moaned in pain, but that was too much of a strain on his already overworked body, so instead he lay on the ground whilst the world spun around him and the grass caressed his battered body. After finally managing to gulp enough air to allow some movement, Dawnfire shifted his forelegs from out under him, and pushed down on the ground. Pain shot up his legs, but he kept pushing until he was able to raise himself to a semi-standing position. He looked up, and the world blurred and swam before him, an incessant ringing in his head dulling the sounds of the world around him. He put one hoof forward, and groaned against the immediate strain he felt. The next step was no easier, but he managed to keep up this pattern, staggering towards the chaotic hues and heat ahead, pain lancing through his body at each step. He couldn’t have been more than ten metres from the nearest house, but it felt so much further. Passing the burning carcass of the first house, Dawnfire stopped to check which way he needed to go, and felt the heat rise substantially. The ache increased in his legs and the smoke obscured his already blurry vision. He blinked, trying to clear his sight, and looked left and right. In both directions the fires ate away at anything that could burn, leaving the homes blackened and crumbling. The ache persisted, prompting him to move. He turned right and continued his slog through the main street, passing several townsponies on the way. Some were crying openly, holding onto each other as they sobbed and pined. Others just stared blankly at the carnage, watching their lives disintegrate before them. They paid no attention as Dawnfire dragged himself past. There was nothing to identify the houses. They were all burning, some more readily and fully than others, but none were safe from the flame. The scenery was awash with orange, draining the colour from everything else. Somehow though, be it through instinct or just good luck, Dawnfire knew that this was his house. The door was wide open and flames were billowing out of the windows from both levels. The ringing in his head had started to fade, and now he could hear the roar of the flames around him. It was almost deafening. With sudden strength, Dawnfire limped quickly into the building. The heat became intense, almost unbearable, and the roar grew even louder. Dense clouds of smoke choked the air, unable to spread out like it could outside, instead congealing at the tops of the rooms. Dawnfire coughed and tried to duck low, finding the air slightly more bearable nearer the ground. He struggled forwards, his coat bristling in the immense heat. The table partially blocked his way, now lying in a smouldering heap. He reached a hoof out to push the pile away, only to draw it back split second later with a sharp cry of pain- it was still hot. Looking around desperately, Dawnfire spotted a broom leaning up against the wall to his left, miraculously intact. He shimmied over to it steadily, grasped it in his teeth, and pushed himself back over to the pile of wood. The brush began to smoke when it came into contact with the wood, but Dawnfire pulled back and pressed forward with it again, nudging the wood over, albeit slowly. After several strokes, the doorway was clear enough for him to progress through. Sighting the stairs, Dawnfire leapt forwards and reached upwards to open the bolt, ignoring the searing pain the metal inflicted on his tongue when he clamped his teeth round it. A sharp pull to the left and then back was all it took to open the door, and he wasted no time scrambling in, trying to alleviate the rising panic in his chest. In the corner the green mare stared back at him with wide eyes, not moving at all, as though resigned to her fate. It was like he hadn’t left at all. He threw himself at her and strained upwards, letting out a drawn out groan as he pulled the mare up onto her hooves. Flicking one of her forelegs over his back, he dragged her out of the confined space and into the hallway as the stairs started to creak and splinter. The air was black and obscured all vision, forcing Dawnfire to duck down to see where he was going. It slowed him down, but it was safer, and stopped him from running into the walls. They entered the kitchen, and Dawnfire saw the open door at the other end. Drawing on his last reserves of strength, he started to gallop, ignoring the protest of his screaming body until he burst out of the thickness of the smoke and into fresh, clean air, dragging the green mare with him. He took ten steps away from the house before he collapsed, his body refusing to sustain his weight anymore, his mother falling atop of him. The two wretched and coughed, struggling to take in the oxygen around them. Dawnfire felt a hoof on his shoulder and continued coughing as he tried to look up. The tears made it difficult, but he wiped them away, along with the stinging that the smoke had brought, and saw a familiar red stallion looking down at him with a mixture of pride, disbelief, and concern. “Son?” he asked apprehensively. Dawnfire smiled up at him. It was a smile full of fatigue, pain and pride; a true, heartfelt smile. “Dad,” he replied, croaking the words out of his parched throat. “I did what you asked.” The red stallion smiled back and wrapped his forelegs around both Dawnfire and the green mare, hugging them close and holding them there. A creaking and groaning caused the trio to look up wearily. Their house, still burning brightly, shifted and cracked, odd bits of wood falling down to the street. The groaning grew more intense and the roof swayed, wobbled, and finally fell in on itself, followed quickly by the walls and what was left of the house. The inferno greedily gobbled the debris, shooting a plume of flame into the air. The three ponies watched as their home and their everything they owned fell apart. They sat there in silence, not having anything to say, and not really knowing how to feel. It was too surreal for them to understand, as though it was happening to somepony else. A tap on the shoulder brought Dawnfire out of his trance and he looked round, expecting to see his father. It wasn't. It was a guard, his golden armour glistening in the flames from their recently destroyed residence. He wore a solemn expression underneath his helmet. “I need you to move away from the the town,” the guard insisted. “It’s too dangerous here, and we’re conducting an evacuation nearby. Follow me please.” He turned to walk away. Dawnfire attempted to get up, and realised that he couldn't move. His limbs wouldn't respond. “Can’t.....move...” he managed to whisper in a cracked voice. After several seconds, the guard turned back round and noticed their inactivity. He stepped forward and placed a foreleg under Dawnfire, waiting until Dawnfire’s father helped the mare to her feet before lifting the young orange stallion onto his back and trotting swiftly away. The guard led them past the slowly dwindling fires out onto the plain, where the townsponies were being shepherded into the area by the guards. Chariots were arriving, pulled by pegasi and being loaded with the scared and confused ponies before lifting off and making way for chariots to arrive. The guard stopped and turned to face the two older ponies following him, waiting to address them for a few seconds so they could slump down in exhaustion. “If you could please wait patiently here, we will call you up. You will be taken to Canterlot where we will.....” The guard trailed off at the sight of another armour clad pony striding towards him. The newcomer came up to the guard, leaned in close and whispered something whilst gesturing frequently at Dawnfire. The duo exchanged questions and answers for several seconds, interspersed with quick glances at the near unconscious stallion laying on the back of the first guard. Both of Dawnfire’s parents watched this exchange with concern, sharing their own meaningful glances. Apparently satisfied with their dealings, the guard carrying Dawnfire gave a sympathetic nod towards the two ponies slumped on the ground and trotted away, the second guard stepping forward to intercept the two which had just stood up to follow. Dawnfire felt the rhythmic trotting of the pony carrying him suddenly stop, followed by a curious sensation of weightlessness. He rose, moved slightly, then came to rest gently on a wooden seat. He didn’t know or care what had just happened, only recognising the wooden texture below him. He heard a voice nearby chattering, and made out part of the conversation. “....this is the one the Princess wanted. Deliver him to her, and then get back here. No delays.” Dawnfire felt the seat moving forwards and then lifting up before the motion finally pushed him into the bliss of sleep.